(Cricket News) Nathan Lyon, an Australian off-spinner, became the third cricketer in Australia history to reach 500 Test wickets when he dismissed Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf in the first Test at Perth on Sunday.
The 36-year-old veteran, whose longevity is partly due to having not played international white-ball cricket since 2019, reached the milestone in his 123rd match. Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) are the other two cricket icons who have reached the milestone. The scenes that transpired in the stadium were unbelievable, as Lyon had to use the DRS to get his 500th wicket.
Most Test Wickets in a Career:
800 – Muttiah Muralitharan
708 – Shane Warne 690 – James Anderson*
619 – Anil Kumble
604 – Stuart Broad
563 – Glenn McGrath
519 – Courtney Walsh
501 – Nathan Lyon*
Known affectionately as “Garry” after former Australian Rules Football player Garry Lyon, Nathan Lyon started the first Test in Perth on 496 wickets and was left stranded on 499 after Pakistan’s first innings. However, on day four, he finally reached 500 by dismissing Ashraf lbw on review, with his teammates enveloping him in celebration. He then bowled Aamer Jamal for his 501st wicket in the same over.
Lyon still has a ways to go before he can match the feats of fellow spin kings Muttiah Muralitharan (800) of Sri Lanka and Australia’s Shane Warne (708), who top the all-time list. A classical spinner who flights the ball, the right-armer could very well catch West Indian great Courtney Walsh (519) during the current three-Test series.
Prior to the Perth match, he told reporters that he wanted to continue playing at the international level until Australia’s next Ashes tour to England in 2027.
See also: India’s Victory Over South Africa: Arshdeep Singh’s 5-Wicket Haul Leads to 8-Wicket Win.
